Review: Back in the spring, Jason 'Aether' Taylor delivered one of the more assured vinyl debuts of the year; a collection of evocative ambient soundscapes and gentle dubstep rhythms entitled Von. This belated follow-up continues in a similar vein, with the Scottish producer prioritized beauty and melodic intent over dancefloor weight. That's not to say that his beats and basslines aren't solid, it's just that what really catches the ear is Taylor's use of intricate piano figures, dreamy female vocal samples, glacial sonic textures, and mood-enhancing chord progressions. It's a blend that results in music more suited to reclined listening than over-enthusiastic dancing. When the music is this picturesque, though, who are we to argue?

Review: Amit's AMAR imprint continues its consistent run of fresh 140 form with New Zealand dub-wiser Akcept. Easing us in with crisp keys, we're soon introduced to his spacious sense of groove and lean instrumentation as "Peace Pipe" lurks and lingers before a lavish horn sample hits midway. "The Streets" takes us further down Akcept's melodic rabbit hole as Clinton Sly spits and sermons over a more colourful version of the riddim. "Insight" takes the prize for heaviest dancefloor cut with a bouncing sub line that tramples with abandon beneath a flow of dubby FX and textures. Playful but ultimately deep and dark, these guys aren't mucking around.

Review: Near mythical version of a Plastikman classic from a man who'll remain unnamed, "Ask Yourself" enjoys a rare repress and you'd be wise not to sleep on it. Retaining all the alien isolation and spooked out allure of the original but with rolling drums and a sub powerful enough to heat the whole of Croydon, this remains a matchless piece of remix craft. No questions asked.

Review: Longstanding Manchester murk merchant Biome returns to Deep Heads' abyss-peering On The Edge series with three more timeless constructions: "Turn" taps into his mystical UKG palette with lingering percussive rolls and dreamy late-2000s synth strikes, "Remembrance" is a loose-jointed hat-tip to proper deep house with its velvet chords and jazzy shuffle while "Niagra" closes the show on a pacey tech tip that wouldn't have gone amiss on Moving Shadow in the mid 90s. Don't look down.

Review: Lafayette, Louisiana, may not be particularly associated with the bowel-bothering sub-bass and ricocheting drum hits of dubstep. Nevertheless, it's home to Bukkha, a producer whose floor-friendly dubstep releases are shot through with high-grade dub reggae influences. "Ruling Sound", featuring the slick and soulful vocals of Junior Dread, is a perfect example. It's effectively a dubstep/steppers reggae fusion, and a very good one at that. The producer's love of original dub can be heard loud and clear on the accompanying "Ruling Dub", which beefs up the sub-bass whilst ramping up the reverb, delay and tape echo. The flipside TMSV Remix, which boasts crunchier, jungle-influenced breakbeats and even weightier sub-bass, is also pretty nifty.

Review: Nothing to cry about here: Dark Tantrums returns with something extra special. Having previously filled our crates by way of Get Darker, Deep Medi and Nebula, he now unveils his own imprint: Beyond Time. The name fits as each one of these carefully selected dubs trounces temporal or crass trend-based limitations: "Realisation" is king-sized machine funk, all molten steel and pneumatic drums, "Enchanted" plays the cosmic card with its foggy pads and ricochet snares while "Lift Off" takes you right back to the foundation with its unabashed jump-up energy. There's no messing around with this launch release. An on-point balance of pure, ageless dub for all heads and corners, launch releases don't get any better.

Review: It's been a strong year for Balkan badman Egoless who pulled in a whole new field of ears with his insanely on-point ska cover of Benga & Coki's "Night". "I'm From The Bakans" is a great showcase of his leftfield weight. The title track is an ardent reminder that we still have heaps of room to experiment in drums and textures with rhythm combinations that sound like no other. "Psychonautilus" is powered by creepy dreams. All wonky, foggy and freaky - if Nicolas Jaar did dub, he wouldn't sound too far from this. "Uck Foff" keeps us in the dense mists as thick atmospheres are broken but a strangely shuffling beat and unpredictable mechanical bass tones. No one is doing it like Egoless.

Review: Strictly G business; Kromestar's consistently sought-after Iron Soul sounds enjoy a limited pressing. Both sides of his coin are display: between the west coast synth funk of "Carbon" and the gully, punctuated steps and slams of "Banter" you have a clear view of this dark knight's abilities and sense of groove and weight. Double-sided, both winners - whichever way you flip the coin. We need more productions like this.

Review: Rotterdam grime time: JLSXND7RS steps up with "Swift", a groaning, bleak jam with depth plunge bass tones that echo deep into the ground. Nico Lindsay provides the lyrical drama as he rifles through a sharp stream of conscious truths. Remix-wise Trends recharges the flow with a much more militant twist as AK47 snares cause serious damage. Loaded with instrumentals, all situations are covered here.

Review: In the nine years since he first appeared on the scene, Kromestar has released a ridiculous amount of music, most of which is pretty darn good. He's scaled things back a bit this year, mind; amazingly, System Test is only his third 12" of the year. Sitting somewhere between classic dubstep, trap, 8-bit and grime, the title track features fuzzy, tumbling electronic lines, fizzing bleeps, deep space sci-fi synths, and, of course, the kind of sub that should make any bass-head go weak at the knees. Flipside "3-D" redresses the balance by emphasizing the sparkling electronic motifs and retro game melodies, though it's still a suitably sizeable floor-filler.

Review: Few crews are doing it quite as well as Boxed. Tapping down a real root note in their grime/beats fusions, each EP (and each party they host) knows when to keep it deep and when to really slap it out silly. This beautiful contrast can often be found within one tune. "Mashman Riddim", for example, warms up with swooning wavey synth textures before dropping into a riff that lives up to its name. Elsewhere the ubiquitous Mr Mitch pays respect to Burial, JT The Goon dusts off his flutes for an alien-charming drama session that could score the sequel to Braveheart while Sir Pixalot returns to his Newham Generals-endorsed "All In One" with a VIP that really does slap us about silly.

Review: Piezo is Luca Mucci, an Italian producer and DJ currently based in Bristol, UK. This release is limited to 300 copies and inaugurates the new label Ansia in great style. On the A side we have the stripped back and bass heavy bounce of "Gattomatto" which is as deep as it is serious. On the flip, we have the polyrhythmic and almost tribal stomp of "Cala" which is quite reminiscent of the oddball grooves Ramadanman was churning out several years ago; we really dug this jam! Very much looking forward to what this promising producer has in store for us all next!

Review: A proper slice of history here: They Call Me Raptor (to use his full title) cooked these up over 10 years ago... Yet they still sound fresher than a lot of the competition today. Loosely swung, sample-rich and fearless in their drama and range, these will blow just as many minds now as they did when they first emerged on dub. Ranging from the eastern string badness of "Magic Circle" to the funk-riddled "Da Stooge" (which is more akin to hip-hop than grime), this really is premium gear. No formula adhered to, full character displayed - these are still ahead of their time now.

Review: Soloman Rose aka Silkie returns for Deep Medi; the dubstep label run by Mala of Digital Mystikz, while in addition appearing on labels as diverse as Antisocial Entertainment, Soul Jazz and Skream's Disfigured Dubz. This follows up last month's wicked Topper Top EP and it's more of the same street level, low end theories once again. Starting out with the wonky, thumping, horns-led stomp of the title track, there's more quality on offer with "Jah Man" and its proper low end snarl, supported by hypnotic chime pads. On the flip, get ready for the straight up and bouncy grime stylings of "Computer Sound" serving up some late night pirate radio vibes for sure.

Review: Literally gully: one of Sleeper's most demanded dubs of the year finally gets a vinyl tease. A huge track in mixes and dances like Control and Outlook, its whining, cawing riff really does resemble the oily air-rats and does so with an authentic mid 2000s stripped back rawness. "French Toasty" runs point with a more futurist feel to the energy as different layers of percussion twist around the woozy middy riff with hypnotic, whirling results. Lean.

Review: Absolute damage: Spooky finally unleashes two of his biggest summer dubs. And he's doing it in pure pink vinyl style. Fiesta slaps with a well-known sample before hopping onto the gulliest skank of his life. The groove says party, but the bass says murderation. Flip for an even fruitier piece of funk as Eric Donaldson's reggae classic gets the murking it never knew it needed. Make no mistakes: Spooky is donning it right now.

Review: Deep grime instrumentals; few labels are doing it like Oil Gang. The clue's in the title - the tight-knit London crew are dealing strictly in sinister, seeping, dark, slick sounds. This one's even darker than usual as Spooky drops the aggro and goes straight in with the deep dagger dynamics. All stealth-like and creepy, "Low Rider" isn't a track you want on your headphones walking home through the wrong postcode at night. Boylan ups the energy with a stampier twist the rhythm and a dramatic riff croaking from the humanized bass tones. Badness.

Review: Grime and funk, Swindle and D Double E - pairing don't come any finer. A dream team in genres and artists, "Lemon Trees" is every bit as sick as you want it to be. Classic Swindle p-funk laced with a wry electro boogie and topped with some of D's funniest lyrics, this truly is citrus sharp. Ghetts jumps on board for the B: "Works Haffi Run" runs on a leaner groove that influences a staccato delivery from Mr Ghetto who's in full truth mode. Finally Flava D wraps up the package with a grunting 4x4 garage take on last year's JME-fronted smash "Mad Ting".

Review: Now on their eight release, J.Robinson's TheMostHigh continues to mystify, murk and master the game with its mysterious dispatches. "Lessons" continues the high grade sub strain message with a heavy pressure bassline and shattering reverbed snares, downpitched vocals and excursions into tripped out FX. Look out for the sudden shards of skank cutting through the dubby fog with sunlight vibrancy... Only to disappear without a trace moments later. A little like these limited pressings.

Review: Barely a fortnight has passed since the gully Frenchman we know and love as Monsieur Von D shared an exceptional release with Egoless and already he's back. This time he's on Infernal Sounds, which is already proof of its quality - considering how selective and detail-oriented the label have been since launching two years ago. "Cross Of Hendaye" is a solid mechanical roller with heaps of human funk coded into the waspy bassline. "Remember" is a straight up homage to the early days with a sub that palpitates so heavily and tangibly your own heartbeat will sync within seconds. True to the craft.

Review: France meets the Balkans on this tasty double-up from two of deep bass music's finest, most forward-looking operators. Von D takes the wheel first: a deliciously stately kick stomps along unhurried as a thick layers weave in and out of the mix with cosmic allure. Egoless switches mid-journey with a much darker design. Again, the pace is slow but the energy and weight is undeniable as the rusty sound bass groans under the pressure of it all. Serious system stuff, right here.

Review: Scene sergeant Youngsta returns with his first full release in years. Tag-teaming with rising producer Cimm, the vibe is deep, roomy and constructed with a stately, unhurried alien funk. Every element considered and fine-tuned, both tracks take us deep into a meditative mindset without ever pressing the snooze button: "Split Minds" rolls with bass tones so warm they almost bounce while "Redshift" takes us into an even dubbier pasture with some great attention paid to the sporadic rhythm elements. Beautiful.

Review: Following last year's celebration of his seminal "Pulse X", White Peach return to the don's small-but-perfectly formed vaults for an equally grand take on the legendary bounce-bass 4x4 cut from 2002. Short, sharp and such a joy to mix and cut, it remains just as crisp now as it did 14 years ago. But that's not to say a few contemporisations wouldn't go amiss... Hi5Ghost retains the depth plunge bass and 808 ricochet hits, Kahn & Neek throw in all the glitches and switches on their take while Astral Black's prize bang clapper brings SMS sexy back with his sub-heavy slight jukey version. Drink it up.

Review: When it comes to dubstep, Distance (AKA DJ/producer Greg Sanders) has pretty much done it all. Since making his debut in 2003, he's released two fine albums on Planet Mu, mixed a volume of the Dubstep Allstars series, and laid down a string of killer 12" singles. With this history in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising that Dynamis, his first full-length for Tectonic, sees him look further afield or inspiration. While heavyweight sub-bass and the rhythmic swagger of dubstep remain at the heart of his productions, the album also incorporates elements of dubstep, experimental electronica, IDM, electro, ambient, and even Nine Inch Nails style fuzz-rock intensity.

Review: When it comes to dubstep, Distance (AKA DJ/producer Greg Sanders) has pretty much done it all. Since making his debut in 2003, he's released two fine albums on Planet Mu, mixed a volume of the Dubstep Allstars series, and laid down a string of killer 12" singles. With this history in mind, it's perhaps unsurprising that Dynamis, his first full-length for Tectonic, sees him look further afield or inspiration. While heavyweight sub-bass and the rhythmic swagger of dubstep remain at the heart of his productions, the album also incorporates elements of dubstep, experimental electronica, IDM, electro, ambient, and even Nine Inch Nails style fuzz-rock intensity.

Review: The 90th installment of the long-running FabricLive series comes from Kahn & Neek, AKA Young Echno members Joe McGann and Sam Barrett. The 28-track mix-up is naturally heavy on material from friends and collaborators (Jabu, Pinch, Ishan Sound, Gemmy etc.), plus a swathe of their own productions and remixes. It offers a whirlwind tour of the Bristol duo's influences and inspirations, taking in paranoid, dubbed-out ambience, stoned trip-hop, sub-bothering grime, post-dubstep intensity, hard-to-define madness (Gantz's brilliant "Temple Meads"), dancefloor-burning ragga revisions, and mutant, wide-eyed post-R&B (the fantastic "Dial Ton" by VMOS and Boofy). In other words, it perfectly encapsulates the duo's club-rocking DJ sets, not to mention where Bristol's bass scene is right now.

Review: Jamie Vex'd returns to his Kuedo project after several years working both underground and commercial sector as an engineer, sound designer and composer. His return couldn't have happened soon enough. "Slow Knife" is anchored by a strong sense of score-like sci-fi throughout as tracks such as the spectrum creeping alien trains of "Slow Knife" and the smouldering twangs and pensive vibrations of "Love Theme" create a dense, sense-blurring narrative. Elsewhere Jamie finds time to escape into raw futuristic soul ("In Your Sleep"), wry broken beat dancefloor procession ("Floating Forest") and overwhelmingly immersive sound design ("Broken Fox") This is just the tip of a sonic iceberg that will take many exciting listens to get acquainted with.

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